The Pony Rider Boys in New Mexico | Page 4

you the guide?"
"Si, señor."
The Professor opened his eyes in amazement. The burro, on the other
hand, stood with nose to the ground sound asleep, oblivious to all that
was taking place about him.
"Why didn't you make yourself known-- why haven't you helped us to
unload?" demanded the Professor in an irritated tone.
"Me no peon. Me guide."
"He's a guide," explained Stacy. "Guides don't work, you know,
Professor. They are just ornaments. He and the burro are going to pose
for our amusement."
The boys laughed heartily. Professor Zepplin uttered an exclamation of
impatience.
"Sir, if you are going with this outfit you will be expected to do your
share of the labor. There are no drones in our hive."
"No; we all work," interposed Stacy.

"And some of us are eaters," added Ned.
Juan shrugged his shoulders and showed his pearly teeth.
At the Professor's command, however, Juan stepped off the burro
without in the least disturbing that animal's dreams and lazily began
collecting the baggage as directed by the Professor. After the
equipment had been sorted into piles, the boys did it up into neat packs
which they skillfully strapped to the backs of the burros of their pack
train. Juan, lost in contemplation of their labors, forgot his own duties
until reminded of them by Stacy, who gave the guide a violent poke in
the ribs with his thumb.
Juan started; then, with a sheepish grin, became busy again.
It was no small task to get their belongings in packs preparatory to the
journey; but late in the afternoon the boys had completed their task.
They had had nothing to eat since early morning. But they were too
anxious to be on their way to wait for dinner in town.
After making some necessary purchases in the village, the procession
finally started away across the plain.
"You'll never get anywhere with that sleepy burro, Juan," decided the
Professor, with a shake of the bead.
"Him go fast," grinned the Mexican.
"So can a crab on dry land," jeered Ned.
Just then the guide utter a series of shrill "yi-yi's," whereupon the lads
were treated to an exhibition such as they never had seen before.
The sleepy burro projected his head straight out before him, while his
tail, raised to a level with his back, stuck straight out behind him. The
burro, seemingly imbued with sudden life, was off at a pace faster than
a man could run.
It was most astonishing. The boys gazed in amazement; then burst out

in a chorus of approving yells.
But it was the rider, even more than the burro, that excited their mirth.
His long legs were working like those of a jumping jack, and though
astride of the burro, Juan was walking at a lively pace. It reminded one
of the way men propelled the old-fashioned velocipedes years before.
A cloud of dust rose behind the odd outfit as the party drew out on the
plains. Their ponies were started at a gallop, which was necessary to
enable them to keep up with the pace that Juan had set.
"Here! Here!" shouted the Professor.
Juan never looked back.
"We're leaving the pack train. Slow down!"
Laughingly the lads pulled their ponies down to a walk; then halted
entirely to enable the burros to catch up with them. By this time the
pack animals had become so familiar with their work that little
attention was necessary on the part of the boys. Now and then one more
sleepy than the rest would go to sleep and pause to doze a few minutes
on the trail. This always necessitated all hands stopping to wait until
the sleeper could be rounded up and driven up to the bunch.
Juan had disappeared. They were discussing the advisability of sending
one of the boys out after him when he was seen returning. But at what a
different gait! His burro was dragging itself along with close to the
ground, while Juan himself was slouching on its back half asleep.
"You must have a motor inside that beast," grinned Tad.
"Him go some, señor?"
"Him do," answered Stacy, his solemn eyes taking in the sleepy burro
wonderingly.
"Better not waste your energy performing," advised the Professor. "We
shall need what little you have. We will make camp here, as I see there

is a spring near by. Help the boys unpack the burros."
"Si, señor," answered the guide, standing erect and permitting his burro
to walk from under him.
With shouts and songs the lads, in great good humor, went to work at
once, pitching their camp for the first time on the plains of New
Mexico. There was much to be done, and twilight was upon them
before they had advanced far enough to begin